Guy Pearce stars as Jason Statham in this trashy, cheap sci-fi matinee that basically works as DIE HARD In Space but with that signature Luc Besson sense of smug misogyny and creative entertainment that leaves you both satisfied and a little dirty. Think about it for too long and it’s ridiculous, but the 90 minutes are about as breezy and enjoyable as a film this violent and pseudo-nihilistic can be. Pearce’s character gets by on a charming version of the smart-ass John McClane hero for the first 40 minutes or so, then his cocksure bravado gets a little wearisome, especially when paired with an underwhelming Maggie Grace (Shannon from LOST).

Too much exposition dumbed down for the idiots (they’re really playing to the cheap seats with this) and cheesy, half-assed special effects reduce this thing to a disposable time-killer, but it still manages to out-perform LAWLESS (by a good margin) and PROMETHEUS (barely) as Pearce’s best film of 2012, and that’s a pleasant surprise.